Best Banana Muffins

Name: Best Banana Muffins Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 3 ripe bananas mashed; 6 Tbsp vegetable oil (olive is fine or canola if you have it); 1/2 cup sugar; 1 egg; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1/4 tsp salt; 1 1/2 cups flour (can use a mix of spelt & regular flour); 1 tsp baking soda; 1 tsp baking powder; 1/2 cup raisins (cranberries, nuts, chocolate chips, if desired)

By: Cayla Gallagher

Published: February, 17 2015 Last Updated: August, 21 2023

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Among all the siblings in my Mom’s family, it’s safe to say that my Mom bakes the best banana muffins. This has been her go-to recipe forever.

Of course, it’s only natural that I had to learn the recipe. I made these for my boyfriend when we just started dating and safe to say, it worked! So if you’re looking for a Valentine’s Day treat to give a special someone, this banana muffin recipe is going to help.

The best banana muffins are moist, sweet, and so full of love! They’re best enjoyed fresh out of the oven but are still good a few days after. You can serve this recipe in two ways: as muffins and as a banana loaf. It’s the same preparation method for both, they just have different baking times.

Whether you bake them as muffins or a loaf, I am 100% sure that the baking is going to release the most heavenly scent into the kitchen.

Let’s get started!

Recipe Ingredients

Prepare these ingredients for the best banana muffins:

Bananas – Find 3 bananas that have ripened. It’s fine even if they have dark spots on the skin because that just means it’s extra sweet! Mash the bananas with a fork. (See Recipe Tips for suggestions on sweeter banana varieties.)
Vegetable oil – Measure 6 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Olive oil, canola oil, or melted butter work well, too, if you don’t mind the slight difference in scent.
Sugar – Measure ½ cup of sugar. You can use granulated sugar for these muffins.
Egg – 1 egg at room temperature.
Vanilla extract – Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Salt – Measure ¼ teaspoon salt. I know what you’re thinking: salt? But it helps balance out the sweetness of the bananas.
Flour – Measure 1 ½ cups of flour. My Mom would sometimes mix spelt flour with plain flour in equal amounts, and this usually creates a crumbly texture in the banana muffins.
Baking soda and baking powder – These work hand-in-hand to help the cakes rise and get more fluffy.
Toppings – Toppings are one of my favorite parts of making banana cupcakes. Of course, they are optional, but they’re great for adding a layer of texture and flavor to the banana cake. For whichever topping, add just half a cup. You can use cranberries, nuts, and chocolate chips if desired.

How to Make The Best Banana Muffins

These banana muffins are so easy to make that you could probably do it with your eyes closed. Just kidding! Don’t do that, but my point is that it’s very simple. You mix the wet ingredients and dry ingredients together, and then off it goes to bake.

Mix the wet ingredients: Combine mashed bananas, oil, and sugar. Then add the egg, vanilla, and salt. Mix well.
Mix the dry ingredients: Combine flour, baking soda, and baking powder together in a separate bowl.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold until well incorporated.
Add any toppings you wish and fold them with a spatula.
To bake banana muffins: Line a muffin tin with muffin cups and spoon the banana cake into each muffin cup. You can use the same spatula or an ice cream scoop for this. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 350F.

To bake a banana loaf: Grease a rectangular baking dish. Pour the batter into the dish and even it out with the spatula. Bake for about 45 minutes at 350F or until a knife or toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Cool completely before serving.

What to Serve with Banana Muffins

Any meal can be made complete with these banana muffins as a dessert. But if you’re getting comfy this Valentine’s Day and want to enjoy Mom’s best banana muffins with a drink, here are some yummy recommendations from my collection of recipes:

Healthy fruit sodas – A cold, refreshing drink to sip on during summer.
Dalgona coffee – The pandemic may be over but that doesn’t mean we can’t have Dalgona coffee anymore! It’s still really delicious and the coffee flavor will go so well with these banana muffins.
Snickerdoodle hot chocolate – Double down on the sweetness and enjoy a warm hot chocolate that tastes like cookie dough.
Pumpkin spice latte – My take on the trendy Starbucks drink made popular by social media.

Please let me know if you have any other fun drink ideas to have with this recipe!

Recipe Tips

How to choose bananas – Cavendish bananas are the most common type of bananas sold in Canadian supermarkets. They have a mellow taste and are 100% okay. But sweeter varieties like red bananas, apple bananas, or the Southeast Asian pisang raja are even better!
Best way to ripen bananas – Underripe bananas taste bitter, which we want to stay away from. And if your bananas are not ripe enough on the baking day, there are ways to speed up the process. If you have 1 to 2 days to spare, place the bananas in a brown paper bag and cover it. If you’re pressed for time, bake the unpeeled bananas in an oven for 10 minutes. I’ve never tried this, but apparently, it works!
Don’t overfill the muffin cups – Each muffin cup should be two-thirds or three-quarters full. Any more than that and the batter will overflow when it’s baking.

How to Store Banana Muffins

Keep the banana muffins in a cool, dry place at room temperature. I usually place them in an airtight container with the muffin cups still intact. They keep well for about 4 days and they’re ready to be eaten as it is. If you prefer, you can warm them up for a minute in the microwave.

To freeze these banana muffins, store them in a freezer-safe bag once they have fully cooled. I arrange them in one layer, rather than stacking them on top of each other to prevent them from sticking together. They can freeze for up to 3 months. Reheating is also easy. Just pop them in a microwave for 2 to 3 minutes to thaw and reheat, or bake them in the oven for 10 minutes.

Can I Use Frozen Bananas?

Frozen bananas are super handy not only for cold banana smoothies, but they’re also great for the best banana muffins! If you are using frozen bananas, thaw them to room temperature before mashing them up.

Can I Freeze My Muffins?

These banana muffins are 100% freezer-friendly. Once your baked muffins have cooled, place them in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Can I add other fruit and/or nuts?

For fruits, I suggest combining this recipe with a fruit that won’t overpower the banana flavor. Some good options are dried cranberries, raisins, or dried fruit mix. For nuts, I love adding chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds.

What frosting goes well with banana muffins?

I have always enjoyed these moist banana muffins on their own, but I won’t say no to frosting on any given day! An American buttercream with vanilla extract or a hint of salted caramel would go perfectly with this recipe. You can also whip up a cream cheese frosting with my recipe here.